The meaning of Broom in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
broom: Occurs in I Kings 19:4 m ("broomtree"); Job 30:4, and Psalms 120:4 m as the translation of the Hebrew rothem, where the King James Version employed "juniper" which is retained in the Revised Version (British and American) text in I Kings 19:4 and Job 30:4. Juniper is certainly incorrect and broom is not a particularly happy rendering. The rothem was doubtless the shrub called by the Arabs ratam, a shrub which casts so little shadow that it would be used for shade only when there was no other refuge from the desert sun, and would be eaten only in case of the direst necessity, but which could be burned and used for the making of charcoal.
See JUNIPER.
David Foster Estes
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